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Take the Allen wrenches that fit your bike, typically 3,4,5,6 and perhaps 8 mm if your crank bolts need it. Get good quality wrenches and be sure they are long enough to be useful. Many multi-tools have all of these sizes but are shaped so they aren't really functional.

Open end or box wrenches in 8,9 and 10 mm may be useful or completely unneeded depending on your bike.

A small chain tool and include a short length of chain plus a couple of suitable master links or Shimano's joining pins if you have a Shimano chain.

A spoke wrench to match your spoke nipples is also good.

Small screwdrivers, flat blade and Phillips, can be useful.

Small needle nose pliers.

The obvious; tire levers, spare tubes, patch kit, minipump.

Spare parts within reason like one brake and one shift cable, brake pads, etc.

A small chain tool and include a short length of chain plus a couple of suitable master links or Shimano's joining pins if you have a Shimano chain.

+1. I used to think a chain tool was unnecessary. I rode across the country with 13 people. Over 52,000 bike miles. Not one chain problem. Never had a chain problem on any other tour. Then last Saturday I was on a group ride on my LHT when my drivetrain started skipping even in friction mode. It kept getting worse so I dropped out of the ride and stopped to take a throrough look down. That's when I discovered that half the outside plate of my speed link was literally missing. Fortunately, I was able to spin to a bike shop about 1.5 miles away. Got it replaced in 10 min. at a cost of $5 and change, which was slightly more than it would have cost to take the train home.

I will be getting a chain tool and some spare links this weekend, wiill learn how to make the necessary repairs and will be never take another trip without them.

+1. I used to think a chain tool was unnecessary. I rode across the country with 13 people. Over 52,000 bike miles. Not one chain problem. Never had a chain problem on any other tour. Then last Saturday I was on a group ride on my LHT when my drivetrain started skipping even in friction mode. It kept getting worse so I dropped out of the ride and stopped to take a throrough look down. That's when I discovered that half the outside plate of my speed link was literally missing. Fortunately, I was able to spin to a bike shop about 1.5 miles away. Got it replaced in 10 min. at a cost of $5 and change, which was slightly more than it would have cost to take the train home.

I will be getting a chain tool and some spare links this weekend, wiill learn how to make the necessary repairs and will be never take another trip without them.

I've always carry a very small chain tool, a 25 gm Ritchey CT-5, now out of production. I've never needed it for my own bike but have helped three other riders over the years. One broke a chain when his wheel threw a piece of tramp wire into it, another had joined his chain improperly and the third had mis-set limit screws and jammed his chain into his crenk. So, a chain tool is certainly a useful addition and replacement master links a necessity.

I always have a couple of zip ties of different sizes with me and they have been very useful twice. I also save my old cleats for my shoes and bring a couple along. They saved my partner once, but never me.

What tools you take depends on your risk tolerance, your weight tolerance, how far out in the boonies you will be riding, and how averse you are to hitching a ride and/or killing a day. Also, when most people ask about tools, they also want to know about spare parts too, even though they didn't say so.

You did use the term "must need". In my opinion, the only "must need" is what you need to repair a tube puncture. That means at least one tire lever, a patch kit and/or spare tube, and a pump.

But then there are also "nice to haves" tools. There are only two that I carry.

A multitool with Allen wrenches, a spoke wrench, a chain cutter and screwdrivers. Allen wrenches are very useful for adjusting your brakes as they wear, adjusting your saddle height, tightening your rack bolts, and, very important for one-way tours, assembling your bike at the start and disassembling it at the end.

Something to fix a broken spoke. Although you can ride with one broken spoke in a 32 or 36 spoke wheel, it's annoying. A FiberFix spoke will allow you to get to the next bike shop, and I do carry one, but I prefer a real spoke. So I carry a one-ounce mini-cassette tool, a spoke wrench and some spare spokes of the right size (it usually takes two or three different sizes).

If you want to include spare parts on your list, and tools are often not of much use unless you also have parts (and vice versa).

Spare pair of brake pads. Brakes wear suprisingly fast in the rain on dirty roads, so I've found that you sometimes need new brakes on very short notice. And you don't ever want to be riding with worn out brakes.

Spare cables, one derailleur and one brake. I don't carry cable cutters, so I just tape the excess down somewhere until I can get to a bike shop to cut and cap it.

More tubes. Although a patch kit will do for many failures, a failure of a valve stem requires a new tube. Also, it's easier to replace the tube on the road and then patch it in the evening after you stop.

Spare tire. This one is questionable. I don't always carry one. The problem is that it's hard to find a good touring tire in a local bike shop, so unless you have one, you'll probably have to settle for a tire that you really don't want. Furthermore, it's possible to have an unexpected tire failure out on the road for which you can't even get to a bike shop. Also, if you have a spare tire with you, you can run your current tire until it is fully dead.

Spare nuts, bolts and nipples to fit everything on your bike.

Tape and zip ties.

Chain lube.

Tire boot. Lot of different things can be used for this. If you don't carry a spare tire, you should carry something that can be used to as a boot. A boot, however, won't help if you have a bead failure.

Take what you need, not what you want. Know how to use your tools. Lots of people carry a chain tool and have no idea how it works. Practice for rain by changing the rear tube with a yard sprinkler spraying you. A pair of neoprene gloves makes working in rain or cold almost easy. A headlamp can be handy. Rags. Patience.

That's the big thing! Having tool but not knowing what to do with them makes them useless weight or makes a bad situation worse if they are miss-used. There is a saying among bike shop mechanics that; "a spoke wrench in the wrong hands is our greatest source of wealth".

Thank you all for your words of wisdom!! We are flying to Boston on April 15 to pick up our new Novara Safaris ( will spend a bit of time breaking them in - previous bikes to ride on got stolen whilst we were home in Australia!!) and also watch the weather for the ultimate time to 'Hit the Road'.